


Risks

by archers_and_spies



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Clint Barton Made a Different Call, F/M, both of them get sick, clint gets tortured, clint takes a bullet for tasha, i should really stop giving clint such a hard time huh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-03
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2020-10-06 07:42:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20503343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/archers_and_spies/pseuds/archers_and_spies
Summary: Five things Clint’s willing to risk for Natasha + one thing Natasha’s willing to risk for Clint.





	Risks

**1\. His job.**

“Why are you doing this?”

“Hmm?”

“You’re putting your ass on the line for me. Someone you don’t even know. You know, you could get fired for this. Lose everything you have.”

He turned to look at her. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “It’s stupid, but I… I believe in you. I believe that you can do better, become a better person.”

She looked down, avoiding his kind gaze. “Maybe I don’t deserve a second chance.”

-

**2\. His health.**

“Clint, please.”

“No. I’m not leaving you.”

“I’m fine, I swear.”

“Tasha, you’re burning.”

“Which is why you have to go. You have a mission tomorrow, and you can’t afford to get sick.”

“Screw the mission. I’m not leaving until you get better.”

“But that could take days, weeks even—”

“Then I suggest you better shut up and get some sleep.”

Natasha didn’t know when exactly she drifted off. She just knew that when she was woken by the sun, Clint was sleeping soundly in the chair right next to her bed. Late for his mission—and with beads of sweat trickling down his face, even though he was visibly shivering.  
Nat groaned. She had not signed up to take care of a sick, selfless jerk.

-

**3\. His dignity.**

“Ow,” he croaked and slowly got up from the hard floor.

“That the best you can do, Barton?” A slight smile played on her lips. She turned to the watching new recruits. “Everyone, take five. Meet us back here.”

As their students made their way to the exit, Clint sat down on a metal bench, trying to catch his breath. Natasha watched him for a little while, then tentatively sat down beside him.

“You know, someday you’re going to have to stop letting me win.”

“I’m not—”

She silenced him with a look.

“But Nat, you and I both know you’d beat me every time anyway.”

“That’s true, but you could at least pretend to put up a fight. The students are tired of watching you lose within the first three moves. Although,” she added, “I don’t think they’ll ever get tired of watching me slam you to the floor. Ever.”

“Ugh, you’re unbearable. Why did I agree to do this with you again?” 

-

**4\. His sanity.**

They beat him again. He screamed.

“TELL US!” They bellowed.

“Go to hell,” he responded.

His thoughts drifted off to the safe house. Surely, Nat would’ve reached it by now. He thought of her bandaging her wounds, changing into fresh clothes, maybe even actually going to sleep. 

But he knew that wasn’t going to happen. She was most probably tugging at her hair, slamming her fist into the wall with frustration, crumbling onto the floor. God, she must feel so guilty. If only he could be there, tell her that it wasn’t her fault he got captured, and—

Something sharp stabbed his side, but the pain didn’t even register. If these idiots thought he was giving up her location anytime soon, they really were even more stupid than he assumed.

He let his mind wander off to his happy place. He remembered being breathless at the sight of Natasha in so many different dresses under so many different covers at so many different parties and galas. He remembered the sound of Natasha’s relieved laugh after he woke up in a SHIELD hospital bed after having been unconscious for three days. He remembered the way her touch made his stomach fluttery. And when she didn’t smell like blood from a mission gone wrong, she smelled like coffee and books, the training courts and freshly washed clothes, and she was without a doubt his favorite person.

He needed to get through this—he had to. Just think of Nat, he told himself. Do this for her.  
They could beat him, hurt him in any way imaginable, but nothing could ever take away his determination. Not when he was thinking of a specific somebody.

-

**5\. His life.**

She realized what happened only when it was too late.

A deafening gunshot, and the soft thud of a body landing right behind her.

She whirled around. Their target was on the ground after being shot by Nat, but in his hand was a gun. And with his last breath, he was laughing.

“Good luck surviving without your… hawk.” He then choked on his blood and went still.

Nat dropped to her knees. Clint was gasping in pain, his hand positioned over a wound under his ribs that was gushing blood.

“Tash,” he whispered.

“No.”

“Hey, it’s okay.”

Nat shook her head, trying to clear her head. This had never happened before. This was not supposed to happen. Her years and years of training had taught her more than enough on how to treat a bullet wound, but her brain wasn’t responding. Panic was distracting her and she didn’t even notice the tears blurring her vision.

Ironically, Clint was the one who remained calm. He walked Natasha through the fundamental steps—apply pressure, stop the bleeding—and helped her call an extraction team.

(When he was recovering, he told everyone that the gun was aimed at him. Only Maria knows the truth, after reviewing the security footage and watching Clint jump in front of Nat to take the bullet for her.)

-

**+1. Her heart.**

Growing up, Natasha Romanoff had always been taught that love was a weakness. It was something that compromises you and lets enemies have the upper hand. Love was for careless fools, it was for children.

But when Clint Barton entered her life, her entire world shifted.

Clint was not afraid to get close to her. He was the only one at SHIELD who didn’t talk to her as if she was a murder machine. He’d volunteer to be her partner when all the other agents were clearly too scared of her. He’d tell bad jokes in serious situations. When they fought together, they moved in perfect harmony. He’d buy her books, and most importantly, he was the one who introduced her to coffee.

She didn’t realize, but slowly, Clint was thawing the thick, impenetrable layer of ice surrounding her heart. 

It took five months for her to grow aware of this. Clint had gone on a mission somewhere in India. Three weeks had passed since his departure when Maria Hill came knocking on her door with a grave expression.

Her stomach plummeted as she told her how the mission failed. Barton was missing in action. Her breaths became more shallow and she could hear her blood pounding in her ears.

And then Maria started laughing. Nat frowned in confusion. Clint stepped through the door, doubling up with laughter.

“We got you. We got you good.” He was laughing on the floor, completely oblivious to the heart attack he nearly gave her. Before he knew it, Nat had pulled him up and into an embrace. It wasn’t one of those casual hugs that didn’t really mean anything. She had completely buried her face in the crook of Clint’s neck and he had stopped laughing, breathing in the scent of her hair.

Maria slipped out of the room quietly.

If you asked Natasha now what love was, she would still agree with her initial statement. Love was for children. What she felt for Clint, that was something much, much deeper than love. Her heart was all his.

**Author's Note:**

> [Find me on my other platforms here!](https://linktr.ee/karasnecklace)


End file.
